Storage rack



D. FRAZIER STORAGE RACK July 21, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1958 D. FRAZIER STORAGE RACK July 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1958 D. FRAZIER STORAGE RACK July 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 2'7, 1958 U WWII 11 United States Patent Q 2,895,619 STORAGE RACK Donald Frazier, Glen Ridge, N.J., assignor to Midland Machine Corporation, Irvington, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 27, 1958, Serial No. 745,054

9 Claims. (Cl. 211-147) The invention relates in general to storage racks such as are used in warehouses and stockrooms to support vertical tiers of shelving, pallets, and the like, and has particular reference to a knock-down structure of few simple components which can be erected and dismantled quickly and easily.

Prior to my present invention, knock-down or demountable storge racks have comprised upright frames and horizontal stringers or rails that are detachably connected together to form a completed structure by con-= nector means which fail to afford desirable rigidity and vertical load-bearing strength and which usually involve use of small keys, bolts, wedges, or similar fittings that are easily sheared off by heavy loading and sometimes project undesirably and even dangerously from the outer faces of the larger rack components.

With the above-enumerated disadvantages of the prior art storage racks in mind, it is my primary object to provide a knockdown rack that can be erected and dismantled by fewer persons than heretofore with great ease and which comprises only two distinct components without requiring any small, separate connector elements.

To be more explicit, my improved storage rack comprises plural integral upright frames and horizontal stringers which may be combined in selected numbers to erect a single-tier rack or a horizontally extended one providing any desired number of tiers. Moreover, each upright frame includes integrally interconnected front and rear relatively parallel posts which have vertically spaced pairs of entrance slots of novel form for mated engagement by the slotted tongues of integral connector brackets provided on both ends of each horizontal stringer. The peculiar construction of the mated post entrance slots and stringer connector bracket tongues is such that, when two upright frames are erected in appropriate horizontal parallelism and spacing, a horizontally held stringer can be assembled with the upright frames by two simple motions, viz. straight level movement into contact with the frames and then straight downward movement to engage anchor slots provided on the connector bracket tongues of the stringer with lower side edges of the entrance slots of the frame posts. There are no complicated rocking motions nor any handling of separate connector devices.

A further object is to provide, merely as a safety precaution, a novel wedge lock device which locks the connector bracket tongues of the respective stringers against accidental dislodgement from the engaged post entrance slots, as when the operator of a fork truck carelessly raises a pallet or other load so high that it exerts upthrust on an overlying stringer of the rack.

Still further objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a storage rack in the process of erection, showing a bottom front stringer being assembled with the front postsof adjacent upright frames;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation, showing the bottom and top front stringers of the rack in assembled position; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing a fore-and-aft brace in assembled connection with the bottom front and rear stringers; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of one upright post; Fig. 6 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the fore-and-aft brace during the process of assembly with the front and rear stringers, the latter being shown broken away, the direction of motion being indicated by arrows; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the same in assembled condition; and Fig.- 8 is a transverse vertical section on line 88 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a wedge lock device in the process of assembly with the connector bracket at one end of a stringer following assembly of the latter with an upright post, said stringer and post being shown broken away, the direction of motion of the wedge lock being represented by arrows; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section of the connector tongue and engaged upright post, showing the wedge lock during the first step of assembly therewith; Fig. 11 is a similar view of the second step; and Fig. 12 is a similar view after the wedge lock is in assembled position, showing the accidentally upthrust position of the wedge lock.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of a back-toback spacer tie in assembled relation to adjacent rear upright posts, shown partly broken away, of two rack tiers arranged back-to-back; Fig. 14 is a horizontal section on line 14-14 of Fig. 13; and Fig. 15 is a transverse vertical section on line 1-515 of Fig. 14.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views, it will be observed that my improved storage rack in its simplified form comprises only two distinct principal structural components, the number of each of which that may be employed depending upon the size of rack to be erected. One of these principal components is an upright frame 10 that includes a pair of mated front and rear posts 11 and 12 which are connected together in spaced parallel relationship by a suitable organization of truss members 13. The other principal component is a supported element in the form of a horizontal stringer 14. Because of the unique construction of upright posts 11 and 12 and of stringer 14, a complete boltless storage rack can be erected by assembling the required number of these two components.

10 and 14 alone. For instance, a rack to provide two levels of horizontal supporting means for shelving, pallet racks, or the like, will require two upright frames to be arranged side by side and four stringers (Fig. 1).

The principle point of novelty in my present invention resides in the specific construction of the means by which the ends of each horizontal stringer are demountably connected to the selected front or rear posts of a pair of appropriately spaced side-by-side upright frames. This specific construction will now be described.

Each post 11 or 12 of an upright frame '10 is formed from sheet metal of appropriate thickness, or gauge, by suitable mechanical process to give it preferably a substantially C-shaped cross-section (Fig. 5). This particular post form affords the great strength required to support heavy loads of stored stocks of equipment of materials, because each post has integral side walls 15-15, front wall 16, and inbent rear flanges 17-17. Side walls 15-'15 are substantially parallel to each other and at right angles to front wall 16 and rear flanges 1'I-17.

In the completed structure of an upright frame 10, it is preferred to arrange posts 11 and 12 so that their respective front walls are at right angles to the general plane of said frame. Moreover, it is usual to construct and arrange each upright frame 10 in such a manner that the front walls of both posts actually face to the front, i.e. away from the warehouse or stockroom wall so that the boltless connecting means to be described next will be readily accessible to the persons engaged in erecting the rack. The upright frames 10, of'course, are reversible so that the front walls 16 of the posts may be rearwardly presented in the event that it is preferred to assemble stringers 1 4 with frames 10 from the rear, as when erecting back-to-back racks between parallel aisles in a warehouse.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be observed that portions of both front corners (where front wall16 merges with the respective side walls 1s 1 s are cut away at vertical intervals to provide'uniformly longitudinally spaced pairs of s ide-by-side vertically elongated and horizontally shallow rectangular entrance slots 18, each of which opens both forwardly through front wall 16 and laterafly through the, corresponding i l For cooperation with post slots 18, each horizontal stringer 14 is provided at each endwith' a flat plate-form connector bracket 19. Because it is preferred to utilize shallow U-shaped channel irons as stringers 14 and tearrange each of them in assembled position on appropriate upright frames 10 with its flanges 2020 at top and bottom and its intervening web 21 in a vertical plane and forwardly presented, each connector bracket 19 is affixed in suitable manner, as by welding, to web 21 in flat abutment against the same. Consequently, in assembled position, each connector bracket will lie in a vertical plane and smoothly flush with the front 'walls 16 f engaged upright posts. Each connector bracket 19 is vertically wide enough to span at least two vertically adjacent entrance slots 18 of an upright. post 11 or 12. A pair of vertically co-planar flat tongues 22-22 are formed on each connector bracket to project longitudinally outward from the corresponding stringer end. The vertical spacing of the two tongues 2222 of each connector bracket is equal to the vertical spacing of adjacent post slots so that the said tongues are adapted to enter the latter in the act of rack assembly.

Each connector tongue 22 is slightly less in length than the horizontal width of the front wall portion of each entrance slot 18, slightly less in vertical width than the height of said slot, and slightly less in horizontal thickness than the horizontal depth of the side Wall portion of said slot. Due to this specific interrelationship of tongue and slot dimensions, it is practicable to introduce the respective tongues of each connector bracket directly by horizontal movement from front to rear into the respective engaged entrance slots 18 through the front wall portions thereof until the said tongues overlie the lower edges of the respective side wall portions of said slots. Each tongue 22 is provided with a vertical anchor slot 23 in its lower edge to embrace the lower edge of the side wall portion of the engaged entrance slot when connector bracket 19 is lowered for that purpose. The vertical extent of each anchor slot 23 is substantially one-half the vertical width of the corresponding tongue 22.

The boltless connection between each connector bracket 19 of each horizontal stringer 14 and the engaged post 11 or 12 of the adjacent upright frame is rendered especially rigid by even contact of the straight vertical edge portion 24 of the said bracket which intervenes between the respecive tongues 2222 thereof with the adjacent side wall of the upright post. The corresponding end of each stringer is square-cut flush with edge 23 of connector bracket 19, so the co-planar edges of top and bottom flanges 2020 and web 21 thereof bear evenly against the said post side wall and add greatlyto the side-to-side bracing effect.

The connection of each bracket 19 to the associated post 11 or 12 is reasonably secure against accidental dislodgment of tongues 2222, but I have provided a co-related wedge lock device as an extra precaution. The reason for this is that it sometimes happens that the operator of a fork truck engaged in delivering a loaded pallet, or the like, to a level pair of supporting stringers 1414 will carelessly exert an upthi'ust against the next higher front stringer 14 and thereby lift the end connector tongues 22 from anchored engagement with the corresponding post entrance slots 18. Such action can cause complete disconnection of the alfected stringer and the spilling of any superimposed load.

As shown in Figs. 9 to 12, the proposed wedge lock device 25 comprises a shank 26 of suflicient length to span the space occupied in each upright post 11 or 12 by any vertically. adjacent pair of entrance slots 18-18. At the lower end of shank 26 a rearwardly and upwardly bent locking flange 27 is provided. This locking flange 27 is slightly longer than onerhalf the height of a post entrance"slot 18 so that oblique'upward and rearward movement is required for insertioninto an engaged slot. The advantage of'th'is feature "will be explained later herein. Near to the"upper"end of shank'26, a thick wedge28 projects rearwardly at 'right angles to said shank. At the rear end of wedge 28, upwardly and downwardly projecting positioning and locking flanges 29 and 30, respectively, are provided. The rearward spacing of flanges 29 and 33 from shank 2 6, slightly exceeds the combined thicknesses of front post wall 16 and each connector tongue 22 so that the latter may be loosely embraced by these Wedge lock device flanges. Upper flange 29 of wedge 28 is curved away from the upper end portion of shank 26 and the vertical distance from the upper end of said upper flange to the lower end of lower flange 30 slightly. exceeds one-half the vertical height of an entrance slot 18 in order that wedge 28 cannot enter one of these slots by direct horizontal front to rearmovernent nor become dislodged therefrom by reverse direct horizontal movement. In other words, both the locking flange 27 and wedge 28 can only be slot-engaged by oblique upward hooking movements of said flange 27 and upper flange 29. of said wedge. This mode of assembly guards against dislodgment of the wedge lock device under accidental conditions, such as shaking or vibration of the assembled rack. Fig. 10 shows a wedge lock 25 during the act of engaging locking flange 27 and wedge 28 with two vertically adjacent entrance slots 18.-18. Thereafter, wedge lock device 25 is permitted to settle until downwardly projecting locking flange 30 has becomeengaged with the inner face of the upper connector tongue 22 (Fig. 11). In this locking condition lower locking flange 27 will still be sufliciently engaged with the upper edge of the next lower post entrance, slot to prevent accidental dislodgment from said slot. The vertical thickness of wedge 28 is such that any accidental upthrus t of connector bracket 19 will be limited by blocking contact of said wedge with the upper edge of the engagedupper post entrance slot 18. This is beca use thebo'mbitied thickness of wedge 28 and vertical width of the engaged connector tongue 22 exceeds thefvertical extent-of entrance slotsls Consequently, the connector tongue is blocked against rising into horizontal registration with the entrance slot and therefore cannot accidentally move outward therethrough. In such upthrust movement of wedge lock device'25, upwardly projecting flange 29 of wed gc 28 will become engaged behind the upper edge of the upper post entrance slot and thereby prevent dislodgment of the wedge from within the said upper slottFig. 12). Lower locking flange 27 similarly prevents dislodgment of the lower end of wedge lock device 25. For complete safety, a wedge lock should be applied to each post-engaged connector bracket. V

For the purpose of increasing the stiffness and capacity of the stringers, at least one fo re and aft'b race 31 may be r eted b tw e h 9i elet e t as. f t.

assume stringers 14-14 at each level. If only one of these braces is employed at each level in a rack of minimum size, it should be located midway between the two upright frames thereof, so it is my practice to provide permanent connector means for a fore-and-aft brace on each stringer at the midpoint thereof.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate such a fore-and-aft brace 31 and the stringer-connecting arrangements. As shown particularly in Fig. 6, each fore-and-aft brace 31 is L-shaped in cross-section and has rectangular end plates 32-32 welded, or otherwise affixed, to both flanges 33-33 of the brace. The distance between the outer faces of both end plates 32-32 should be equal to the distance between the opposed inwardly presented faces of the respective web 21 and flanges 20-20 of each assembled co-related pair of front and rear stringers 14-14. On the opposed inwardly presented sides of the co-related stringers 14-14, a pair of connector pockets 34-34 are welded or otherwise permanently aflixed. Because it is usual for the stringers 14-14 to be arranged with their webs 21 forwardly presented and their flanges 20-20 facing to the rear, the connector pocket 34 of the front stringer will be afiixed to both flanges thereof and the connector pocket 34 of the rear stringer will be aflixed to its web. The height of each end plate 32 should be such that it will evenly abut against the flanges 20-20 of a front stringer 14 when forwardly presented and against the web 21 of the rear stringer 14 when rearwardly presented.

Each connector pocket 34 is bent from sheet metal and comprises a central flat portion 35 and forwardly offset wing portions 36-36 that are directly afiixed to stringer 14. The distance between central portion 35 of pocket 34 and the adjacent flanges 20-20 or web 21, as the case may be, should be substantially equal to the thickness of each end plate 32 of a fore-and-aft brace in order that the said end plate may easily vertically enter the pocket with minimum horizontal clearance. Central portion 35 of pocket 34 is provided with laterally spaced vertical flange-embracing slots 37-37 which are slightly greater in depth than the width of each flange 33 of fore-and-aft brace 31. The upper edge of central portion 35 of pocket 34 is reduced in height to a level spaced below the upper face of the top flange of stringer 14 by a distance equal to slightly more than the thickness of each flange 33 of brace 31. These relative dimensions permit ready insertion of either end of a fore-and aft brace 31 into snugly connected flush engagement with a pocket 34 of related stringer 14.

The operation of assembling a fore-and-aft brace 31 with co-related front and rear stringers 14-14 is illustratcd in Fig. 6. Brace 31 is initially suspended in a position to bring the front and rear end plates 32-32 directly above the mouths of the pockets 34-34 on both stringers 14-14. Then, brace 31 is lowered until either vertical brace flange 33 that is in vertical depending position enters one of the vertical slots 37 of pocket 34 and the horizontal flange 33 rests upon the upper edge of central portion 35. (See arrows.) Because of the provision of two properly spaced slots 37 in each pocket 34, it will make no difference as to which end of a brace 31 is forwardly presented or rearwardly presented. In other words, there are no right-handed and left-handed braces; all are interchangeable,

Figs. 13 to disclose a back-to-back spacer tie 38 in assembled relation to the adjacent posts 12-12 of aligned upright frames 10 of storage racks that have been arranged back-to-back between parallel aisles in a warehouse, or other place of storage. This spacer tie 38 is a channel member of U-shaped cross-section which has connector brackets 39-39 welded or otherwise aflixed to the web portion 40 thereof to project longitudinally therefrom to an extent slightly less than the fore-and-aft outside dimension of each upright post 12. At the outer ends of both connector brackets single tongues 41 are provided and bent laterally in the same direction. The length of each spacer tie 38 should de termine the fore-and-aft spacing of the two back-to-back racks, so that the respectivetongues 41 may be intro duced by direct sideward movement into the side wall portions of entrance slots 18 of the adjacent uprightposts of the racks. Each tongue 41 has a vertical anchor slot 42 in its lower edge to embrace the lower edge of the engaged post entrance slot 18, when spacer tie 38 has been lowered into assembled position. In this posi tion, the upper and lower flanges 43-43 of spacer tie 38 have their square-cut ends closely abutting the adjacent rear flanges 17-17 of the respective upright posts to stiffen the connection of the associated racks with each other.

The advantageous features of my improved storage rack are numerous. There are just two distinct principal component parts, viz. the upright frame 10 and the horizontal stringer 14. The number of levels in a tier may be varied by using upright frames of diflerent lengths and by increasing or reducing the number of pairs of stringers employed. The width of a tier may. be varied by selection of stringers of different lengths, and, because each stringer is made from standard U-shaped channel iron stock, the production of stringers of different usually adopted lengths is a simple measuring and cutting-off process.

An outstanding advantage is the ease of erection of the rack. At the outset, three persons should be used. Two of them set two upright frames 10-10 upright on the floor at a stringers length apart with the slotted front walls 16 of posts 11 and 12 facing forwardly. Then, the third person installs the lowermost rear stringer at the desired'height on rear posts 12 of both upright frames, and follows this operation by' installing lowermost front stringer-on front posts 11-11 at the same level. If there is to be only one tier, two persons now may be released; The incomplete rack will now 'bestilf enough to permit the remaining person to climb on the lower stringers as necessary to install the upper levels. The top stringers usually will be flush with the tops of the upright frames.

It a row of interlocking tiers is to be erected, two persons may be needed to complete the installation. One of them will set up each successive upright frame in proper position and one will install the stringers.

Fore-and-aft braces can be installed just as soon as any pair'of front and rear stringers on the same level are in place, or they can be installed one at a time after the whole rack has been completed.

Wedge locks can be applied as soon as any stringer is in place, or all at once, as desired.

Back-to-back spacer ties are installed to tie the rear posts of one rack to the rear posts of another when racks are to be in double rows. They may be installed at any height desired, but it is usual practice to locate one close to the floor and one two or three feet from the top.

Other advantages of the rack are that it is strong, rigid and swayless; Concerning its strength, a single stringer has been loaded with 20,000'pounds (equivalent to 40,000 lbs. per level) to test the strength of the connector brackets and posts without any failure. The rack is readily accessible for operational loading from front or back. In use of the wedge lock devices, the stringers are positively locked in place. Only one second of time is required to install or'remove one of these devices. The front faces of posts and stringers are flush so there are no snagging, tearing or cutting projections.

It will be understood also that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a storage rack: plural upright frames each of which includes front and rear posts and truss members connecting said posts together rigidlyin spaced parallel relationship, each of'saidlposts beingformed from sheet metal and being substantially C-shaped in horizontal cross-section and arranged to present two opposite side walls and an intervening front wall merging with the latter at right and left front corners, portions of both front corners being cut away at vertical intervals to provide uniformly longitudinally spaced pairs of side-by-sideven ticallyelongated and horizontally shallow rectangular entrance slots each of which opens both forwardly through the front wall and laterally through the corresponding sidewall; plural pairs of elongated front and rear stringers extending horizontally betweenthe respective front and rear posts of adjacent upright frames; anda connector bracket provided on each end of-each stringer rigida therewith to connect the same demountably to a selected post-of one of the upright frames, said connector bracket being of flat plate form and having plural verticallyco-planar tongues projecting longitudinally outward fromthe corresponding stringer end, the vertical spacing of the tongues of each connector bracket being substantially equal to the'verticalspacing of-adjacent post entrance slots; each connector tongue being slightly less in length than the horizontal width of the front Wall portion of eachentrance slot, slightly less. in vertical width than the height of said-slot, and slightly less in horizontal thickness than the horizontal depth of the side wall portion of said slot, whereby the respective tongues of each connector bracket may be introduced directly by horizontal movement fromfront to rear into the respective engaged entrance slots through the front wall portions thereof until they overlie thelower edges of the respective side wall portions of said slots; each connector tongue being provided with a vertical anchor'slot in its lower edge to embrace the lower edge of the-side wall portion of the engaged entrance slot.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein each stringer connector bracket has a straight vertical edge intervening between the tongues thereof'in even bracing contact with the corresponding side wall of the engaged upright post.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, wherein each stringer is in the form of achannel iron'of Ukshaped cross-section having a vertically arranged web portion and upper andlower horizontal flange portions projecting rearwardly from said web portion, each end of the stringer being square-cut and arranged with the end faces of flanges and webflush with said straight vertical' edge of the corresponding connectorbracketand'in even bracing contact with said side wall of the upright post.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, to-which is added: a removable wedge lock device applied to each postengaged stringer connector bracket to prevent dislodgement of-the tongues of said bracket from post entrance slot engagement when the stringer is accidentally thrust upwardly, said wedge lock device comprising avertical shank ofsufiicient length to span the space occupied in. each upright post by any vertically adjacent pair of entrance slots, a wedge projecting from the upper end portion ofsaid shank substantially at right angles thereto for horizontal insertion into the upper post entrance slot of the engaged'pair in interposed blocking relation to the upper edges of said slot and the connector tongue engaged therein.

5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein respective upwardly and downwardly projecting positioning and locking flanges are provided on the free end of the wedge for alternate overlapping engagement withthe upper edges of the post entrance slot and engaged connector tongue, the said upwardly projecting flange being outwardly curved and vertical distance between the ends of said positioning and locking flanges being slightly more than the distance between. the upper edges of the post entrance slot and an engaged connector tongue to permit insertion therein by oblique upward movement.

.6.:'1?he invention defined in claim 5, wherein an inclined lower locking flange projects upwardly from the lower end of the wedge lock shank for engagement within. the next lower post entrance slot, the position of said lower locking flange on said shank and its vertical extent being such that said. locking flange must be inserted in said lower entrance slot and moved obliquely upward into overlapping locking engagement with the upper edge of said lower entrance slot in order to bring said wedge anditspositioning and locking flanges into entering registration with the unmasked upper portion of the upper tongueengaged slot.

7. The invention defined in claim, 1, to which is added: fore-.and-aft brace means interconnecting any selected pair of front and rear stringers at the same level, said brace meanscomprising opposedpockets provided rigid with the respective rear and front faces of said front and rear stringers,- each pocket being bent from sheet metal to form a central fiat portion and forwardly offset wings afiixed to the corresponding stringer in a manner to provide an upwardly presented month, said central fiat portion of each pocket being provided with laterally spaced vertical slots, and an angle iron brace of L-shaped cross-sectionhaving rectangular end plates aifixed thereto, said brace having its end plates fitted in the mouths of the respective pockets of the front and rear stringers with one flange of the former arranged in a vertical plane in engagement with one of the pocket slots and the other flange arranged horizontal and resting uponthe upper edge of said central flat portion, the respective front and rear stringersbeing arranged with their web portions in parallel vertical planes and the fore-and-aft brace being of such length that the end plates thereof are in firm abutment against the opposed portions of the stringers.

8. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein sufiicient upright frames and horizontal stringers are assembled to erect at least two back-to-back rack tiers, to which is added: at least one back-to-back spacer tie comprising a channel member, a connector bracket afiixed to each end of said channel member and having at leastone laterally bent flat tongue, said spacer tie being arranged in close abutment against corresponding side walls of foreand-aft adjacent rear posts of the back-to-back rack tiers with the tongues thereof engaged within the side wall portions of the entrance slots in said posts at the same level, each tongue being arranged in a vertical plane and being of slightly less vertical width than the height of said entrance slot and slightly less thickness than the horizontal depth of the side wallportion of said slot, and being provided with a vertical slot in its lower edge to embrace the lower edge of said side wall portion of the entrance slot.

9. As an article of manufacture, a wedge lock device comprising an elongated shank, a wedge projecting from one end of said shank substantially at right angles thereto, positioning'and locking flanges projecting oppositely from thefree end of said wedge substantially parallel to said shank, the outer flange being curved away from said shank, and an inclined locking flange projecting longitudinally inwardly from the'end of said shank opposite to said wedge and on the same side of the shank as the wedge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 933,810 Wokurka Sept. 14, 1909 1,473,817 Gorsline Nov. 13, 1923 2,815,130 Franks Dec. 3, 1957 

